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Latest additions

• Community-based adaptation to climate change - Reid, Hannah et. al., 2009. IIED. This issue of "Participatory Learning and Action" focuses on recent approaches to climate change adaptation which are community-based and participatory, building on the priorities, knowledge, and capacities of local people.
• Realising REDD+ national strategy and policy options - Angelsen, A (ed) et. al., 2009. Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). There are a number of promising approaches for achieving REDD+ objectives. Policy makers in each country will need to put together a mix of policies and approaches that tackle the drivers of deforestation and degradation in their particular national circumstances.
• Mountain Forum: A global network for mountain communities, environment and sustainable development - Mountain Forum is a global network of individuals and organisations concerned with the well being of mountain people, their environments and cultures.
• Green Water Credits: ISRIC – World Soil Information Policy Brief [PDF] - Green Water Credits, 2009. ISRIC – World Soil Information. Green Water Credits are payments for farmers’ water management activities that are, now, unrecognized and unrewarded. Benefits to poor rural people drive this initiative which safeguards water resources for everyone.
• Compensation and rewards for environmental services in the developing world: Framing pan-tropical analysis and comparison - Swallow, Brent et. al., 2009. Ecology and Society. The first of a series of papers that review the state of knowledge and practice regarding compensation and rewards for environmental services in the developing world.

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Latest World Agroforestry Centre publications

• Africa's biocarbon experience: Lessons for improving performance in the African carbon markets [PDF] - Chomba, S and Minang, P A. 2009. World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). Investments in REDD demonstration projects, particularly in Africa, should be increased in order to generate practical lessons for future REDD implementation and to enhance participation in mainstream carbon.
• Trees on farms: Tackling the triple challenge of mitigation, adaptation and food security [PDF] - Neufeldt, Henry et. al., 2009. World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). Trees on farms store carbon, buffering against climate-related impacts and providing additional income for smallholders through tree-based products.
• Reducing Emissions from All Land Uses: The case for a whole landscape approach [PDF] - van Noordwijk, M et. al., 2009. ASB Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins. A whole-landscape approach to reducing emissions and managing carbon stocks can help address the drivers of deforestation, reduce problems such as leakage, and enhance the participation of developing countries in a REDD deal.
• If we cannot define it, we cannot save it: Forest definitions and REDD [PDF] - Van Noordwijk, M and Minang, P A. 2009. ASB Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins. Forest definitions are ambiguous. As a result, forest loss is often not officially counted as deforestation.
• Forests and climate change toolbox - The Forests and Climate Change Toolbox has been developed to build understanding and technical proficiency on issues of climate change and forests including mitigation, adaptation, carbon accounting and markets, and biofuels.

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Latest Tools

For assessing different aspects of PES

• Forests and climate change toolbox - The Forests and Climate Change Toolbox has been developed to build understanding and technical proficiency on issues of climate change and forests including mitigation, adaptation, carbon accounting and markets, and biofuels.
• Legal Initiative: Online PES Contract Management Center - Contractual models, tools and guidance for drafting contracts for ecosystem services and REDD transactions
• REDD/REALU Site-level Feasibility Appraisal (RESFA) - van Noordwijk, Meine & Joshi, Laxman 2009 - TUL-SEA Project, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). Would a targeted effort to reduce emissions bring local livelihood benefits? There are opportunities for real benefits if intentions are genuine and projects are designed well.
• Biofuel Emission Reduction Estimator Scheme (BERES) - van Noordwijk, Meine 2009 - TUL-SEA Project, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). Will biofuel use decrease or increase net carbon dioxide emissions? BERES was established to calculate emission reduction factors, using a life cycle approach.
• Natural Capital Project - Toolbox - The Natural Capital Project is developing new tools to help decision makers implement Payments for Environmental Service schemes. Their approach is designed to illustrate the impacts of potential land-use decisions on human well-being and biodiversity.

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Getting started with PES

How to get a payments for environmental services scheme up and running

• Compensation and rewards for environmental services in the developing world: Framing pan-tropical analysis and comparison - Swallow, Brent et. al., 2009. Ecology and Society. The first of a series of papers that review the state of knowledge and practice regarding compensation and rewards for environmental services in the developing world.
• A revised conceptual framework for payments for environmental services - Sommerville, Matthew M. et. al., 2009. Ecology and Society. Proposes a revised definition and framework for payments for environmental services (PES) implementation that focuses on the use of positive incentives as the philosophy behind PES and conditionality as the method for influencing behaviors.
• Spatially explicit assessment of tradeoffs and synergies amongst key ecosystem services in Sasumua watershed, Kenya. [PDF, 7MB] - Bhattarai, Sanjeeb. 2009. Land use changes at, especially driven by agricultural production, have hugely contributed to degradation of watershed functioning. Intervention is needed to maintain the ecosystem in Sasumua watershed to ensure agricultural production and to sustain the supply of water to Nairobi.
• Baseline survey for Rushebeya-Kanyabaha wetland landscape and Wambabya riverline forests system of Uganda - Nature Harness Initiatives (NAHI), 2009. This report is based on the baseline survey that was conducted by Nature Harness Initiatives (NAHI) in the Wambabya riverine forests system (Hoima District in Uganda) to collect information for facilitating the development of workable rewards for environmental service agreements.
• Current and potential payment for environmental services schemes in three landscapes: Mobuku, Kalinzu Kasyoha–Kitomi and Budongo–Bugoma, Uganda - Ecotrust Uganda, 2009 - Ecotrust. This study was intended enable ECOTRUST and partners learn from the experiences of the existing initiatives and identify potential payments for environmental schemes.

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